My eyes roam around, noticing the small details. From a discarded hairbrush on the floor between the two couches to the small pack of press-on nails and a feminine perfume to a light pink coat, with some makeup scattered on the kitchen counter. This is where Amy’s been staying, for sure.
And judging by the way she left in a hurry, it’s safe to assume she hasn’t returned after meeting me. She fled, and that thought makes the anger linger within. The fact that she was within my reach and that she managed to catch me off guard pisses me off to no end.
“Hey, look at this,’’ Cove’s voice snaps me out of the thoughts. I turn to look at him, and he’s coming closer, flipping through some mail that he found. “All of these are addressed to Sarah Jones,’’ he says. “Except this one,’’ he hands me a white envelope.
Quickly, I pull my phone out, typing a text to Lucas to find anything about Sarah Jones, giving him the address and Amy’s description. I shut the phone off, put it back in my pocket, and grab the envelope from him.
I slump into the couch, tearing the white envelope open.Inside is a single printed letter, folded neatly in half. My fingers clench around the piece of paper before I unfold it, my eyes looking at it.
“It’s another address,’’ I sigh. Cove peeks over my shoulder, his brows narrowing for a second. He takes the paper from me, inspecting it closely.
“This is in the area where old factories are. Many aren’t in usage these days, though.’’
With a nod, I rise back to my feet. “Alright, let’s go.’’
Before I take another step forward, Cove yanks me back by my elbow, forcing me to sit down. I lift both my brows, half-surprised, half-angry. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“You’re not going there.’’
“Why the fuck not?”
Cove steps between my legs, grabbing me by the collar of my leather jacket, and starts shaking me violently.
“Wake up, you fucking idiot,’’ he hisses. “I know Blair’s kidnapping has messed with your head. I know, Arlo, alright? But I need you to stop for a fucking moment and actually think. You’re one of the most intelligent bastards I know.’’
“What the—’’
“Amy Marshall was in contact with Alexander Hawke,” he starts speaking, slowly, as if he were speaking to a child. “Alexander Hawke is entangled with Blair’s kidnappers. This address may well be the place where they’re operating from.’’
“All the more reason to go there.’’
My head snaps to the side, a loud sound echoing through the small room. The impact of his hand against my cheek causes my skin to turn red, and I’m momentarily frozen. Silence stretches between the two of us, and I slowly turn my head to look at him.
At this point, I’m too fucking shocked at the fact that this motherfucker just slapped me to even be angry.
Cove’s expression tells me he’s angry. His pupils are blownout, brows creased, his jaw clenched. His hand on my collar tightens the grip, and he looks to be a second away from tossing me out the window from the sixth floor of the building.
“Think, you fucking idiot,’’ he grits out. “If you and I go there, all alone, with no knowledge of what the fuck is on the inside, we’ll either die, or worse, they’ll relocate. And if perchance Blair is at the location, they will kill her before we can actually do anything. You can’t be this reckless, you stupid fuck.’’
Everything in me freezes at his words. My body’s paralyzed, his words echoing in my ears, ringing loudly. My heartbeat is furiously fast, and I’m struggling to keep the anger inside me. But Cove is right. This could be fatal, and I’m too fucking blind to see it.
“Besides,’’ Cove continues, “Amy has the upper hand now. She’s a few hours ahead of us. She definitely warned the rest of them. By now, the factory may as well be empty. Let’s go back to the base and form an actual plan.’’
I take a deep breath. Cove releases my collar, then steps back. His eyes roam all over me, the anger in his expression lessening with each passing second. He sighs, then runs his fingers through his hair.
“This is why I hate speaking,’’ he scoffs. “You morons need everything spelled out for you.’’
“Knock it off,’’ I mumble. “I’m out my element.’’
“I can tell that,’’ a snort leaves his lips, and I give him a glare. “You need to rest, Arlo. When was the last time you had proper sleep? You’re like a walking corpse.’’
“I’ll sleep when I find Blair.’’
“If you don’t die from exhaustion first. Seriously, you need to sleep. You won’t find her in this state.’’
My jaw clenches. I put the letter with the address in my pocket, then walk out of the apartment, knowing Cove will follow behind. His words repeat in my mind like a mantra as I take twosteps down at a time, hating the way I couldn’t see the image clearly until it was pointed out to me.
One mistake will cost me Blair’s life.
